Insurance FAQs
Get answers to your frequently asked malpractice insurance questions. For additional information, please call (800) 343-1368 or email us at insuranceinfo@aana.com.General Information
- I do not buy insurance from AANA Insurance Services, but I have questions regarding malpractice insurance. Can AANA Insurance Services still help me?
AANA Insurance Services serves as a resource to all membership. Whether you secure coverage through us or not, we are here to answer any malpractice insurance questions you might have.
- What coverage options does AANA Insurance Services offer?
For a complete list of the coverage options we offer, visit our Policy Options page.
Already know what coverage you need? Get a no-hassle quote now.
- What is the contact information for AANA Insurance Services?
AANA Insurance Services
116 S. Prospect Ave.
Park Ridge, IL 60068
Phone: 800-343-1368
Fax: 800-547-2220
Email: insuranceinfo@aana.com
Applying for Coverage
- How can I apply for malpractice coverage?
You can get a no-hassle quote or get in contact with our knowledgeable staff by visiting the Get Quote page.
- How long does it take to get a quote from AANA Insurance Services?
You can expect to receive a quote within 2-3 days of your inquiry. For faster response, give us a call at 800-343-1368.
- Do the policies offered by AANA Insurance Services have any limitations or restrictions on my ability to practice?
The policies we offer have no limitations or restrictions on your ability to practice. You can work to the fullest extent of your licensure and scope of practice.
- Does AANA Insurance Services offer premium financing?
Yes, AANA Insurance Services does offer premium financing. Various options are available to meet your specific needs.
- I plan to work in more than one state. Can I get coverage for that?
Yes, AANA Insurance Services offers coverage in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. No matter how many different states you work in, we can provide coverage.
Because premiums differ by state, your policy premium would be calculated based on the percentage of work you do in each state. As an example, if you worked 10 percent in Florida, 50 percent in Georgia and 40 percent in North Dakota, you would pay 10 percent of the Florida premium, 50 percent of the Georgia premium and 40 percent of the North Dakota premium.
- I have been a CRNA for many years; I have always worked for a hospital or a group that provided my malpractice insurance. A few years ago I had a job that gave me a week off at a time. I started moonlighting and purchased a moonlighting policy from AANA Insurance Services. After a few months, I changed jobs, which made the moonlighting impossible, and I canceled my policy.
Because I had a claims-made policy, I was offered a tail. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I asked around. Unfortunately, I followed some bad advice and didn’t purchase the tail.
I want to buy another policy now. Am I ineligible for a new policy if I didn’t buy a tail on a previous claims-made policy? I do not want to go through all the trouble of filling out an application if I don’t have to.
At one point in time, the failure to purchase a tail on a previous claims-made policy did affect your eligibility to get coverage. That is no longer the case. You can apply for a new policy without worrying about your previous claims-made policy.
- Is coverage available for CRNAs who have had claims, substance abuse issues, license forfeitures, or board of nursing complaints?
In most cases, the answer is yes. Because there has been an underwriting issue, the insurance company will usually require supplemental information in addition to the application. This will generally make the application process take longer than normal.
It is also important to note that the policy coverages for an applicant with an underwriting issue may not be as broad as for an applicant without such an issue. The policy premium may also be higher for an applicant who has an underwriting issue.
Insurance Company Information
- Which insurance companies does AANA Insurance Services represent?
AANA Insurance Services represents Medical Protective (MedPro Group), which provides coverage in all 50 states and in the District of Columbia.
- Is MedPro Group a financially sound insurance company?
MedPro has received an A++ (Superior) rating from A.M. Best, the world's first and most widely recognized independent rating agency in the insurance industry. Learn more about MedPro.
My Policy
- My policy has a limit on the number of hours I can work (e.g., part time, moonlighting, and slot policies). How is an “hour” defined, and will I have to report the number of hours I worked during the policy period?
Any time spent related to the care of a patient should be counted in your total number of hours worked. This would include not only the “hands-on” time you have with the patient during the procedure, but also any time that is spent with patient-related activities before the case (e.g., preoperative interview) or after the case (e.g., charting).
The hours you count are not based on the total hours you work or how you are paid. Let’s say you have on-call responsibilities. If you are on call for 24 hours, but don’t end up having any cases during those 24 hours, you wouldn’t count any of those hours, because you didn’t provide any patient care. Again, you only count the hours where you have client-patient contact or are conducting any activities related to patient care.
You will not have to report the number of hours you worked during the policy period; you are on your honor. However, you should keep an accurate count for the hours you work and if you exceed your hour limitation, you should increase your coverage. If you should happen to have a claim and the insurance company discovers you have worked a greater number of hours than what you applied for, the insurance company could have grounds to deny your claim. At a minimum, there would be an additional premium charge.
- How do I report a claim?
In event of a claim please have the following information available:
- Date of the incident
- Patient information (name, age, gender)
- Facility information (name and address)
- A brief description of the incident
To report a claim, please call 800-343-1368.
Students and Student Nurse Anesthesia Programs
- Does AANA Insurance Services offer coverage to student registered nurse anesthetists?
Yes, coverage is available for student registered nurse anesthetists. Coverage is provided on an occurrence basis, which means there is never a tail to buy.
The policy limits are $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate in most states, but there are three exceptions. In Florida the limits are $250,000/$750,000. In Texas and Michigan the limits are $200,000/$600,000.
- I just graduated from a nurse anesthesia educational program. Am I going to have to pay a higher premium because I am new to practice?
No, you will not In fact, if you apply for a full-time or supplemental malpractice policy for employed CRNAs, you will be eligible for a premium reduction of 50 percent the first year after your graduation and a 25 percent reduction in your second year.
- I recently graduated from a nurse anesthesia educational program but I have not yet obtained my certification. Am I eligible for coverage?
Yes, if your state allows you to work as a graduate nurse anesthetist, you can apply for coverage.
- I just recently graduated from a nurse anesthesia educational program. If I get a malpractice policy from AANA Insurance Services will there be any coverage restrictions or limitations?
No, none of the policies sold by AANA Insurance Services has any coverage restrictions or limitations for new grads. All the policies sold by AANA Insurance Services allow you to work to the fullest extent of your licensure and scope of practice.
- Does AANA Insurance Services offer coverage to nurse anesthesia educational programs?
Yes, coverage is available to nurse anesthesia educational programs. Coverage is available not only for students but also for the faculty and school. The premium per student is $275. There is no charge to cover the faculty and staff. To learn more about the policy for student nurse anesthesia educational programs and the various coverage options available, please contact AANA Insurance Services at 800-343-1368.
Malpractice Liability Coverage Information
- Should I buy occurrence or claims-made coverage?
Generally speaking, occurrence coverage is simpler and more consumer-friendly than claims-made coverage. In most cases, we would recommend an occurrence policy over a claims-made policy. We also recognize that every CRNA’s situation is different, and we can work with you to find the coverage option that best suits you.
- How are legal costs and other claims expenses handled?
For the policies offered by AANA Insurance Services, any legal costs and claims expenses incurred in defending you are paid in addition to the policy limits. That means no matter what costs are paid out to defend you, those costs do not erode your limits of liability. The policies offered by AANA Insurance Services provide you with virtually unlimited defense costs.
- I have coverage through my facility, but I plan to do some work at some other locations. I am not sure how much of that work I am going to do. Do you have coverage for that?
Yes, we do. AANA Insurance Services offers moonlighting policies for CRNAs who are providing anesthesia services outside their primary jobs.
We offer three moonlighting policies. The first provides coverage for up to 500 hours of moonlighting work annually. The 500-hour policy would provide about 10 hours of coverage a week on average. Please note though, there is no weekly cap on hours worked. The 500 hours can be spread out however you like over the annual policy period.
There is also a policy if you plan to moonlight 1,000 hours per year or less (20 hours per week on average) and a policy if you are going to moonlight more than 1,000 hours per year.
- What is a slot policy?
A slot policy is equivalent to a full-time policy. However, unlike a standard full-time policy that only covers one CRNA, a slot policy can cover up to 10 CRNAs. The policy provides coverage for up to 2,000 hours worked (50 weeks x 40 hours) by the CRNAs covered by this policy. The number of CRNAs and the number of hours worked can be done in any combination as long as the total number of CRNAs does not exceed 10 and the total number of hours worked by the CRNAs covered under the policy does not exceed 2,000.
- Does AANA Insurance Services offer slot policies?
Yes, AANA Insurance Services offers slot policies. These policies are available on an occurrence basis.